Dream Thief Read Online Free PDF Page B

somehow.”
    “You mean your father is the director of GM?”
    “Yes—the colony, not the corporation.”
    “Then you're his daughter…”
Buffoon! What are you saying?
    “That's right,” she laughed. “It makes it nice that way.”
    “You work for him? I mean…”
    “No, not really. I was just helping out because both he and his assistant are gone. I didn't have anything else to do. They've been gone all week setting up some sort of field trip or something.”
    “That sounds interesting.” Spence was dying for something half-intelligent to say. At least he had passed imbecile and was now merely moronic.
    “Does it? I suppose so, to a scientist, I mean. I have no desire to go tramping around on Mars or anywhere else. I didn't even like the jump up here very much.”
    Spence had heard about such “field trips,” as she called them; at least once a session various cadets would be chosen to take a trip to one of the extra-terrestrial bases to see firsthand the work going on there. Mars was without doubt the deluxe trip. Anyone who made that one would add an appreciable amount of prestige to his credentials.
    “When is the—ah, field trip supposed to take place? I hope you don't mind my asking. Would you like to walk for a while? My name is Spencer. Spence.”
    “I know. I looked it up in your file, Dr. Reston.” To his look of mild surprise she added, “Oh, it wasn't hard. I told you I never forget a face. And I remembered the bar code on your jumpsuit.”
    “Right.” They began to walk slowly among the ferns and leafy trees. Now, however, Spence was aware of a new scent among the musky odors of the tropical garden. A fresh clean scent: lemons, he decided.
    “I'm Ari. It's short for Ariadne, only if you ever call me that I'll never speak to you again.”
    For an instant Spence considered that would be an extremely unfortunate event, but then realized he hardly knew the girl at all. “Hmmm.” He screwed up his face into a contemplative scowl. “Ariadne—that's Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Minos of Crete. She gave her lover Theseus a ball of twine which he used to escape the labyrinth of the minotaur.”
    “Very good!” She laughed and clapped her hands. “Not one person in a thousand remembers that.”
    “Oh, I regard myself something of a classicist,” remarked Spence with a mock-serious air. “Ari. It's a nice name. I like it.”
    “I like yours, too.” They stopped walking. As Spence turned to look at her he could feel his nerve evaporating. “Well, it's been nice talking to you,” she said. “I do have to go now. Maybe we'll run into each other again sometime.” She hesitated. “Bye.”
    She turned quickly and ducked under a large frond and Spence watched her dart away like a deer, her long blonde hair flagging behind as she disappeared among the green shadows. He stood perplexed by the strange mix of emotions which assailed him. He was sorry to see her go; and yet he told himself that he could not feel that way, that he had never seen her before yesterday, that she was just like every other girl he had ever met. Still, a vague sense of loss settled on him as he continued to walk the garden paths.
4
    S PENCE STUMBLED BRUISED AND bleeding across a rocky, alien landscape. Over his shoulder Earth, a beautiful, serene blue globe, rose full in the black, formless sky. He winced with pain as needlelike shards of tiny cinders sliced the soles of his bare feet and scraped the flesh away from his knees and the palms of his hands when he fell. He felt a cool wetness on his cheek and lifted a hand to his face.
    Tears. He was crying.
    Then he was standing on the top of a low mountain overlooking a lush green valley. Around him a gentle breeze played among tiny yellow flowers, shifting their sunny heads playfully with each gust. The air bore a sweetly pungent scent and seemed to vibrate with a faintly audible tinkling sound which reminded him of bells.
    In the valley below, small